Caffeine Poisoning
Facts About Caffeine Poisoning
Due to the popularity of over the counter energy enhancers and certain soft drinks caffeine poisoning is on the rise. People assume caffeine isn’t dangerous but in fact it is a powerful drug that can be addicting. This substance can be found in coffee, tea, soft drinks and high energy enhancers. People of all ages are now using caffeine at an alarming rate.
To actually have the symptoms of caffeine poisoning, you would have to consume five to ten grams of caffeine in a relatively short period of time. This equals out to around eighty cups of coffee. But because of the high levels of caffeine that are available in energy powders and drinks, it can be easy to suffer with caffeine poisoning symptoms, especially in children.
When it comes to understanding how caffeine poisoning can occur, you can just look at the affects of a few cups of strong coffee a day. Caffeine only takes minutes to circulate throughout the body. But the energy surge can last for up to twelve hours. Immediately, it can affect the central nervous system and stimulate the brain. But just like any other additive drug, over time you may need to consume more to get the same stimulated feeling. Although the increase in caffeine may not reach caffeine poisoning levels, it can still do damage to the body.
Anxiety, rapid heart rate, dizziness, headaches and digestion problems can all happen when consuming high doses of caffeine. If you are using caffeine over a long period of time it can cause permanent damage. Diseases like osteoporosis, heart disease and severe insomnia can be a direct result of consuming too much caffeine. But it women the problems can include infertility and an increased risk of miscarriages. Women who use caffeine on a daily basis can also give birth to babies who have lower birth weights and can have a lot of difficulties even giving birth. Caffeine is linked to high blood pressure and as a result these women may have to have a cesarean section instead of giving birth naturally.
Perhaps the age group most affected by accidental caffeine poisoning is the teen to young adult group. Children who are worrying about getting into college or that are already in school trying to establish good grades are the biggest abusers of caffeine. They drink sodas with high levels of caffeine and they also use energy enhancing drinks and powders to try to stay a head of their tasks. Too many times their social lives interfere with their studies and they have to rely on caffeine to keep them going for days on end with out sleep. This is a prescription for disaster.
Caffeine initially can keep an individual going for a period of time. But the next day the user may feel very tired and even disoriented. To continue on feeling stimulated they must increase the dose of caffeine. If the user continues upping the dosage an overdose may occur.
An overdose or caffeine poisoning has many obvious symptoms. Rapid heart rate, confusion, nausea and shaking or tremors can happen after consuming too much caffeine. In extreme cases panic attacks can also occur but it is possible to die of caffeine poisoning. After the user suffers delirium they can have seizures. These seizures are dangerous because the person who is having one has no control over himself and isn’t even conscious of what is happening. Seizures can cause broken bones because of contorted muscles, bruising can appear on the body and even death can occur because breathing can become difficult.
Most doctors say that drinking a few cups of average strength coffee a day will not do any permanent damage to the body. But if you are consuming more, you should consider cutting back because of the long term damage it can do.